Dortmund (Germany) (AFP)

Barcelona brought a happy 0-0 draw from Dortmund on Tuesday night in the Champions League, after being seriously rushed and saved by goalkeeper ter Stegen who stopped a penalty from Marco Reus.

After the 1-1 draw conceded by Inter Milan at home against Slavia Prague, the situation remains completely open in this group F, the highest in this edition 2019-2020.

Barcelona remain undefeated for the 15th consecutive time in group matches (10 wins, five draws).

"They will lead us hard, it is clear, it will be a good opportunity to see where we are", had warned before the game the Catalan coach Ernesto Valverde, whose survival in Barcelona is clearly linked to the European destiny of club.

Failure in this Champions League is indeed forbidden to the champions of Spain: the club that dominated Europe at the beginning of the decade has not won the queen competition since 2015, and remains on two humiliating eliminations, victim spectacular "remontadas" against Rome in 2018 and Liverpool last year.

- Ansu Fati holder -

For Dortmund, whose only title in the Champions League dates back to 1997 (final lost in 2013), it is mainly to calibrate against the highest European level, without putting pressure on the final result.

The Catalans and the Germans had not met since the 20th century and the 1998 UEFA Super Cup (Barça's win in the second leg), but they had one thing in common: their ambitious recruitment in the inter-season .

If Dortmund played in his category by fetching Nico Schulz, Thorgan Hazard or Julian Brandt, Barça de Messi and Suarez made his market luxury department, including the world champion Antoine Griezmann (120 million) and the pearl Ajax Frenkie de Jong (75 million).

The difference did not seem obvious at Signal Iduna Park, where Valverde, as he had hinted, had left Lionel Messi on the bench. The five-time Argentinean gold ball recovered from a right calf injury and did not resume training with the team until Sunday.

On the other hand, he had started the small prodigy Ansu Fati, who at 16 and 322 days became the youngest player ever to be in a European Cup by FC Barcelona.

The Yellow and Black entered the match at 120 per hour, and smothered Barça for a few minutes, with a very high pressure.

- "Yellow wall" volcanic -

The game was quickly balanced, on a very intense rhythm. But the defenses have held up. The best opportunity of the first period was for Dortmund, when ter Stegen had to throw himself in front of Reus to divert to a corner (25th).

A little later, Sancho ideally placed, unopposed at 18 meters, shot over the frame. The Blaugrana have had to settle for wet crackers Griezmann and Suarez, without any danger for the goalkeeper Roman Bürki.

After the break, Dortmund pushed again, and got several dangerous free kicks. The audience felt that the match could rock and went up a notch yet. Until the 57th minute, when Sancho got a penalty.

But facing a "Yellow Wall" more volcanic than ever on Tuesday night, Captain Marco Reus shot to the right of Ter Stegen, who has beautifully relaxed to save Catalonia!

Dortmund then pounded, by Reus three times, then Brand, who shot on the crossbar (76th).

Opposite, Messi's attempts came up against the defensive net stretched by Borussia, where veteran Mats Hummels made a huge game. But the score remained blank and in the end, it is well Dortmund who could have the impression to have lost two points.

© 2019 AFP